


Seven and One

by Kasan_Soulblade



Category: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Genre: Gen, a "what if" scenario explired, family focus, what were the Koopalings doing during the take over
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-24
Updated: 2015-03-24
Packaged: 2018-03-19 09:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3605187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasan_Soulblade/pseuds/Kasan_Soulblade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A "what if" explored.  During Smithy's take over not all the escapees were Goomba and Troopa, there were eight left to themselves that went unaccounted for..  Being how they were they decided to count on themselves and no one else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seven and One

 

 

They’d been pulled aside by a toad, well by Toad, who’d ran through town after town, tracing tales of exploits and monsters and pitfalls. It was some time after one star and another, well beyond Mack, but before Smithy that they were called home. Well back for most, home for one.

Weary from a walk (long and weary, never mind the mine carts sped things up considerably) wanting this done, they pushed past the flock of toads and their clambering for attention. A look up, with a glance down least they step on anyone) derailed all thoughts thereafter. The mushroom kingdom, despite its name, was a rather mundane place. With green grass and trees, a place of near eternal spring, where the extremities were locked away in the northern corners where it was always winder and the southern lands where all the deserts coagulated .

Instead of leaves rustling on the sweet breezes there were stretches of white. Thin, paper like, and flowing.

“Is that…” Mallow couldn’t quite get the word past his squeak.

Wooden limbs clacking as his arms crossed star guardian considered the stuff on the trees, then the trees themselves. Paint had been applied liberally, the nearest was red and white in a spiral pattern reminiscent of a candy cane.

Save candy canes weren’t so blotchy, or aborted about half way up.

Or marked with long scratches left from flailing claws that were and singed over as scramble to stay failed and falling was inevitable. The mix of curses, mild malice, and frantic whimpered wishes from the faller left a curious tinge to the tree that had nothing to do with pain and was only visible from one of the party.

“Bowser, is there something we need to share?” Peach murmured. “Some Troopas that are out and about…”

“You can’t be blamin’ this on me Pinocchio!” And never mind it wasn’t Geno who’d put him to the question, he couldn’t of yelled at Peach even if he really really wanted to. And the squirming in his gut, the worry and the not knowing, and the craziness that was now and might have bled out into ways he hadn’t thought about… Well he was starting to think about it… to worry about it. And between the headache it was causing and the stomachache some yelling was in order. Just not at her. “I was two kingdoms over looking for your star street pieces.”

“Star Road.” Came the collective correction, and considering some passerby Toad had decided to chime in Bowser let out a gout of flame, just to teach the little pipsqueak to mind how own business.

Plus there was Mario to consider, who though busy with the groups marshmallow rain starter (who was desperately trying to whip up some rain, the squealing running Toad wasn’t helping by not staying still) had told him by hammer point exactly what would happen if he decided to torch anyone irritating. Peach’s glare of disappointment when she’d heard he’d been giving the group’s pipsqueak an occasional smoldering had been the icing atop the disapproval cake, and though Mario’s hammer had been closer her glare had hit harder.

So he didn’t smolder anyone, just that one Toady, and there was Peach glaring at him, the draped swirling white form the trees framed her quite prettily… Except that was her disappointed look, but he _wasn’t_ sorry and…

Back from Toad wrangling, both sooty and sodden, the plumber wrung out his hat. “Momma Mia, he-a ran crazy fast!”

And see… even Mario wasn’t complaining about the smoldering, just the running, so he was right!

“Come on; let’s get his hulking majesty into the castle before he fries the TP or something.” The group’s pipsqueak grumbled, taking one of his beefy arms in his wet clammy own.

Geno, looking away from the trees, and the walls of the nearest buildings, was piecing colors to theme and intent from unformed wishes (or secret ones, there was tenderness under the wash of... well washing clean up Toads and their irritation). All painted grey and off grey, though the color was close it wasn’t quite right, still the pictures were present, ranging from simple to simply rushed. And no few had dripped down to color lawns.

Still the imagery wasn’t sloppy enough to hide what had been. A winter wonderland, all artifice, but still wrought with something like care under the frenzy.

“I wonder what Toadsworth wants?” Peach murmured, leaving irritation go for the moment. “Do you think it’s related to… well.” One slender arm waved, to toilet papered trees and abandoned art (and singes artfully hidden under paint).

“It could be star piece related, maybe?” Mallow was resolutely going forward, at least his legs were, his arm and thus him were tethered by the claw dragging pace of the Koopa he was trying to steer. Things sped up when Geno snapped up the other arm, and thus the duo dragged their third wheel along.

The palace doors opened and closed with a bang, the ruckus behind them (and squeals of “Bowser” and thud of thundering, fleeing, feet) was near deafening, still Peach lingered and Mario once sure his hat was dry popped it on and waited. Because though she didn’t always say exactly what she wanted he knew her well enough to know he was being asked to wait.

“You were with him,” a tip to the castle, to the ruckus that while quieter was still going on. “Did he mention… well…” Princess took a deep breath and tried again. “When you went to rescue me, did you see his Koopalings?”

Recalling those loud, noisy, squalling turtles and their perchance for wands, and being as sneaky as their Father… Mario shook his head. He wouldn’t have missed them, and they wouldn’t have let him try to rescue the Princess without some effort to stop him.

Blue eyes combed over destruction, some secret glinting and lost between one blink and another.

“I think we should go in, don’t you?”

And though a question it technically wasn’t. So he offered his hand and led her up the stairs trying to smile and having a small secret all his own. An unspoken wonder for her secret. But as she didn’t speak he didn’t either, and when the doors opened, it was tame pandemonium that took them. Sweeping little dramas, and damages, and masked spike shelled hooligans, a mystery quite divorced for Star Pieces.

But still theirs, and still demanding resolution.


End file.
